Machine for straightening tubes and rods



Nov. 12, 1968 E. L. BAKER MACHINE FOR STRAIGHTENING TUBES AND RODS 5Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 29, 1965 lN\ ENTOR,

ELLERY L. BAKER BY Nov. 12, 1968 E. 1.. BAKER MACHINE FOR STRAIGHTENINGTUBES AND RODS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec.

INVENTOR.

L. BAKER ELLERY ATTORNEYS Nov. 12, 1968 E. L. BAKER 3,410,126

MACHINE FOR STRAIGHTENING TUBES AND RODS Filed Dec. 29, 1965 5Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

ELLERY L. BAKER ATTORNEYS FIG.4

United States Patent 3,410,126 MACHINE FOR STRAIGHTENING TUBES AND RODSEllery L. Baker, Warwick, R.I., assignor to United Wire & SupplyCorporation, a corporation of Rhode Island Filed Dec. 29, 1965, Ser. No.517,221 6 Claims. (Cl. 72-164) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A machine forstraightening tubes and rods by passing them through driven rollsengaging the tube or rod in staggered relation on opposite sides, thedriving of the rolls on opposite sides being through gear means with therolls on one side swingable about the axis of the rolls on the otherside.

This invention relates to a machine for straightening tubes and rods.

Machines of this general type commonly comprise two groups of rolls,there usually being six in each group alternately opposed to contact thetube or rod in order to permanently upset the metal as it passes betweenthe rolls in a controlled manner. One of the groups of rolls has theaxes of the rolls horizontal While the other group of rolls has the axesof the rolls vertical so as to insure straightness of the tube or rod intwo different planes. The last roll in each plane bends the material toits final degree of straightness.

The rolls in each group usually consist of three rolls on one side andthree rolls on the other side so located that the rolls on one side arestaggered with relation to the rolls on the other side. The rolls on oneside of the rod or tube are adjustable relative to the rolls on theother side of the rod or tube. All of the rolls are driven and thedriving of the adjustable rolls is usually done by coupling the rollshafts to an adjacent gear box with a universal joint in the shaft. Thefixed rolls are also connected to the same gear box because at thispoint through gearing the necessary clockwise and counterclockwiserotation of the roller shafts can be obtained. All of this is bulky andof expensive construction.

The straightener of this invention eliminates the need for the gearboxes, the universal jointed shafts and the slides in the conventionalmachines that the adjustable shafts are mounted in. Each adjustableshaft that alternately opposes a fixed shaft is mounted in a housingthat pivots around the center of the fixed shaft. In this way they canbe driven from the fixed shafts through simple gears on each shaft in acounter rotation to each other regardless of the position of adjustment.The fixed shafts can be driven in any conventional manner.

One of the objects of the invention is to simplify the construction of amachine for straightening tubes and rods.

Another object of the invention is to eliminate the need for a universaljoint in a shaft and the slides and adjustable shafts heretofore used.

Another object of the invention is to eliminate the need for gear boxesby mounting the gears to be used on the axes of the two shafts to bedriven,

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple interchangeableroll for engagement with the different diameter tubes or rods which areto be straightened.

Another object of the invention is to eliminate the need for accurateline-up of the shafts which needs highly skilled labor to accomplish.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction as will 3,410,126 Patented Nov. 12, 1968be more full described and particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevation of the machine of this invention showing thehorizontal and vertically arranged units for engaging the work;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the showing in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevation partly broken away of one of the units on asomewhat larger scale showing the gearing for driving one roll fromanother roll; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view on substantially line 44 of FIG. 3.

With reference to the drawings, the machine comprises a framework havinga base 10 with upright supports 11 and 12 and a supporting table 14. Twounits 15 and 16 are supported on this table 14 which are driven from acommon motor 17. The motor 17 drives a countershaft 18 by means of belt19 and from this countershaft the unit 16 is driven by a belt 20 whileunit 15 is driven by means of belt 22 through a right angle gear device21 such as by a vertical shaft to the unit 15. The units 15 and 16 aresubstantially the same except that the axes of the driven rolls are atright angles, the axes of the rolls 15 being generally vertical whilethe axes of the rolls in the unit 16 are substantially horizontal. Theseunits being substantially the same, only unit 16 will be described indetail.

The unit 16 comprises a body portion 25 flanged as at 26 to rest uponthe table 14. A frame comprising space parallel plates 27 and 28 aresecured by means of bolts 29 and 29' to the body 25.

Housings 30, there being three shown in each unit in the presentembodiment, comprise a pair of cylindrical sleeves 31 and 32 rigidlyconnected together by the welding of a strut 33 to each of them andextending between them. The sleeve 31 is reduced at its ends forextension into the plates 27 and 28 where the reduced ends find bearings34 and 35 in the plates 27 and 28 so as to swingably mount the housing30.

The cylindrical sleeve 31 mounts a shaft co-axial with the axis of thebearings 34 and 35 by means of antifriction roller bearings 41 and ballbearings 42. This shaft mounts a pulley 43 fixedly thereon which isdriven by belt 20 from the source of power. A straightening roll 45 isalso mounted on shaft 40 in a detachable manner which will behereinafter described.

In the cylindrical sleeve 32 a shaft is rotatably mounted by means ofanti-friction bearings such as the roller bearing 51 and ball bearing52. This shaft carries an interchangeable roll 53 in the same plane asthe roll 45.

A gear 55 is fixedly mounted on the shaft 40 and a gear 56 is fixedlymounted on the shaft 50. These gears mesh one with the other as shown inFIGS. 3 and 4 and are also in the same plane. Thus, the roll 53 isdriven from the shaft 40 by means of gears 55, 56 in time with therotation of the roll 45 as will be readily apparent.

As will be seen in FIG. 3, a spring 60 fixed at 61 to the housing andfixed at the other end 62 to some part of the frame comprising theplates 27 and 28 is under tension tending to swing the housing to liftthe roll 53 from the work designated generally 65 in FIG. 3 so as tocause less pressure thereon, Whereas a screw 66 threaded through thepart 67 of the frame and engaging the housing at 68 may be rotated bythe handle portion 69 so as to sping the housing clockwise as seen inFIG. 3 to cause the roll to have a greater pressure on the work 65 fromthe top as shown in FIG. 3. It will of course be apparent that the firsttwo of these rolls from the left in FIG. 3 will apply pressure on thework as it is supported by the lower rolls 45- having fixed axes andthus apply pressure between the first and second and the second andthird lower rolls as seen in FIG. 3. The last upper roll, however, isadjusted so as to apply pressure to bend the material to its finaldegree of straightness.

The middle lower roll 45 and its shaft 40 as seen in unit 16 is drivenby belt'20 and the lower fixed rolls of each group may be driven fromthe shaft 40 by means of pulleys 70 and 71 from the center middle rollof each group by belts 72, 73 (FIG. 3) to the corresponding lower shaftssuch as 40 of each of the pairs of rolls, and a single direct line beltmay be used from the center roll of each roll and the proper rotationsecured.

Different size or diameter work will require different size rolls 45 and53 and thus I have made these rolls readily detachable by providingthese rolls to fit upon a drum 80 fixed on the end of the drive shaft onthe inner surface of each of the rolls is recessed as at 81 partiallythrough its width to form a shoulder 82, while in the drum 80 there aremounted plungers 83 slidably radially in recesses in opposed relationand pressed apart by a spring 84, each plunger having end portions 85 toengage the recesses 81 in each of the rollers and by means of theshoulders 82 prevent axial movement of the rollers. A plate 86 held byscrews 87 secures the plungers in their slideways. Handles 88 may beutilized for urging the plungers together to disengage the portions 85from the recesses 81, thus allowing the rolls to be readily removed fromthe drums 80. This arrangement also serves as a key for causing therolls to rotate with their shafts 40 and 50 when engaging the work.

I claim:

1. In a machine for straightening tubes and rods, a unit comprising aplurality of rolls having fixed parallel axes, a housing swingable aboutthe fixed axis of at least one of said rolls, and carrying a rotatableroll on an axis a fixed distance from said fixed axis, said distancebeing sufiicient to position the roll in contact with the work betweenthe points of contact of the work with the rolls on the parallel fixedaxes and gear means driving the swingable roll from the fixed axis rollabout which it is swingable.

2. In a machine for straightening tubes and rods as in claim 1 whereinthere is a housing swingable about each fixed roll axis.

3. In a machine for straightening tubes and rods as in claim 1 whereinsaid housing carries a movable roll, said housing being of a dimensionto swing the movable roll between said fixed axis rolls, and gear meansdriving the movable roll 'from the fixed roll about which it isswingable.

4. In a machine as in claim 1 wherein the said gear means comprises agear whose axis is on the axis of said fixed roll and a gear meshingtherewith whose axis is on the axis of the movable roll.

5. In a machine as in claim 3 wherein the said gear means comprises agear whose axis is on the axis of said fixed roll and a gear meshingtherewith whose axis is on the axis of the movable roll.

6. In a machine as in claim 1 wherein the rolls are detachably connectedto an axle rotatable with said gear means for changing the sizes ofrolls.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,564,696 12/1925 Locke 721642,092,840 9/ 1937 Greene 72162 2,293,156 8/1942 Mason 72164 2,350,2745/1944 Duclos 72-164 2,517,309 8/1950 Heller 72-164 3,253,445 5/ 1966Franck 72--205 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

K. C. DECKER, Assistant Examiner.

